Cambridge-based startup Sense - whose energy monitor lets homeowners interpret power usage in every appliance, device and light in their houses - announced it has closed $14 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Shell Technology Ventures and Energy Impact Partners. It also included previous seed investors Capricorn Investment Group, Prelude Ventures, CRV and Boston hardware accelerator Bolt.
“We’ve been excited by the level of consumer engagement and the wide variety of ways in which our customers are using Sense. Since our pre-order program launched late last year, our two most common requests were solar connectivity and Android - today we’re pleased to announce that both are now available,” Michael Phillips, CEO and co-founder of Sense, said. “The Series A funding marks an important time in our company’s growth as we will use it to build out our team, expand our feature set and enhance our device detection capabilities.”
In addition to the funding, Sense has announced the launch of solar compatibility and its app for Android. Sense uses machine learning to give homeowners real-time data about their everyday household devices.
Users can use Sense's monitoring system to not only track power usage, but also gauge what exactly is going on in their houses. For example, Sense can clue them in when they left the stove on or when the garage door is open.
And while it offers these benefits for homeowners, Sense could have a broader impact on utilities.
“We look for emerging companies with real answers to today’s utility challenges - solutions that will help our utility partners engage with their customers and provide these customers with new, cutting edge technologies for the home,” Hans Kobler, Managing Partner at Energy Impact Partners, said. “Sense goes beyond providing home energy information to homeowners and instead leverages energy information to deliver broad home intelligence. We and our partners are looking forward to working with Sense as Sense and the utilities expand their role in the smart/connected home space.”
